EMERGENCY ORDER REGARDING PERSONAL SERVICES

WHEREAS, an outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (“COVID-19”), has brought extreme risk of person-to-person transmission throughout the United States, the Commonwealth of MA, and the City of Lawrence significantly affecting the life and health of our community; and

WHEREAS, COVID-19 is a contagious, and at times a fatal, respiratory disease; and

WHEREAS, symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and the disease can spread from person to person via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes; and

WHEREAS, the Governor has declared a State of Emergency to protect persons from the impacts of the spread of COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, it is critical to take additional steps to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 to protect the health and welfare of the people of the City of Lawrence and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and

WHEREAS, maintaining a distance of six (6) feet from others and to avoid coming into contact with or inhaling droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes is one of the best ways to prevent getting COVID-19, as per the Centers for Disease Control; and

WHEREAS, many personal services offered to the public cannot be provided at safe distance of at least six (6) feet and, in some cases, cannot be provided without avoiding physical contact to customers and clients; and

WHEREAS, while conducting inspections, public health officials in the City of Lawrence have found that establishments offering personal services are also being used as places of gathering, meeting, and socializing for customers, clients, friends, family members, and the public in general;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDERED:

All establishments providing services offered to the public which cannot be administered by keeping a distance of at least six (6) feet between individuals are hereby ordered to stop operations and close public entry to the business; and

Without limiting the foregoing prohibition, this order includes: hairdressers, barbers and salons, nail salons, massage services, tanning, laser hair removal, body art, body work, piercing, personal training, and all other business and commercial activities involving the touching of another person; and

Notwithstanding the forgoing prohibition, this order does not apply to services provided by licensed health-care providers such as, but not limited to, doctors, dentists, urgent care facilities, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractors, acupuncture, mental health providers, or other essential services that may be medically necessary.

This Emergency Order shall remain in effect until notice is given, pursuant to the Local Board of Health’s judgement that the Public Health Emergency no longer exists.

So ordered on behalf of the Local Board of Health this 21st day of March, 2020:

Mike ArmanoDirector/Agent for the Local Board of HealthCity of LawrenceCommonwealth of Massachusetts

Cc:

Honorable Daniel Rivera, Mayor of the City of LawrenceKendrys Vasquez, City Council President, City of LawrenceDr. Joel Gorn, Chairman of the Local Board of Health, City of LawrenceSteven Gil, Vice-chairman of the Local Board of Health, City of LawrenceBrian Moriarty, Fire Chief, Emergency Management Director, City of LawrenceRoy Vasque, Police Chief, City of LawrenceMartha Velez, Director of Health & Human Services, City of Lawrence